Safety-trace connection.



A. THOMSQN. SAFETY TRACE (IONNECTION. APPLICATION mm 11mm. 1915.

1,241,394. Patentadfiept. 25, 191? ALEXANDER THOMSON, OF FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS.

I SAFETY-TRACE CONNECTION.

Application filed January 18, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, ALEXANDER. THOM- soN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of F itchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Safety- Trace Connections, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to trace connections, and more particularly to a trace connection particularly adapted for use in connection with metallic collars, of that nature now commonly used in fire, artillery, and other heavy harness of like nature, my object being to provide a connection which may be quickly and efi'ectively made and which, when effected, will defeat all tendency of the parts toward relative displacement.

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide a trace connection of the hook-and-eye type, which will be movable and flexible in engaged position, and at the same time, by its particular con struction, defeat any tendency toward separation of the connected parts.

The above objects are preferably carried out through the particular arrangement to be now described in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention and forming a part of this specification, and wherein Figure 1 is a front view, partly in seotion, illustrating the hook in its position of initial engagement with the fastening eyes.

Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating the hook in inverted position constituting the second movement toward complete engagement of the parts.

Fig. 3 is a perspective illustrating the parts in complete operative engagement.

Fig. 4 is a detail section through the engaged hook and eye taken substantially on line 44. of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows the application of the fastener to a hame, and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to these figures, the fastener A includes a plate as seen which may be secured in any suitable manner upon the part intended as its support, for instance, a metallic horse collar a portion of one side of which is generally indicated at B in Figs, 1 to 3 inclusive, the plate of the fastener having an outstanding eye A, the particu- Specification of Letters Patent.

present invention.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Serial No. 72,712.

lar construction of which forms in part the This eye, it will be noted, has one side portion A the cross section or diameter of which is considerably less than that of the other side portion A as may be most plainly seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The hook C, which constitutes the other part of the invention, may have any suitable means as indicated at C, providing for the attachment of the trace tug or other connection D which it is intended to support, and its hook end is provided with an inner eye portion C and a throat portion C communicating with the said eye portion and of substantially less width than the diameter of the eye portion.

For the proper engagement of the hook C with the ye A, the eye portion C of the hook is sufliciently large to receive the thickened side portion A of the eye A, while the reduced throat portion C of the hook is of less width than the diameter of the thickened portion A of the eye A, but is sufficiently wide to receive the reduced side portion A of the eye A. Thus in engaging the hook with the eye, it is necessary to initially move the throat portion C onto the smaller side portion A of the eye, as seen in Fig. 1, and, after reaching the eye portion O of the hook, invert the hook to the position shown in Fig. 2, the eye portion of the hook accommodating the thickened side portion A of the eye. The entire hook may be then turned to extend in the proper direction from the eye, and the parts are in full operative engagement as shown in Fig. 3, from which it will be seen that the reduced throat portion 0 of the hook precludes all danger of relative displacement.

Thus it will be seen that I am not only enabled to provide a connection of this character eliminating all danger of relative displacement of the connected parts, but I am also enabled to do this without sacrificing any of the usual advantages of such a connection, and without sacrificing in any respect whatever, the natural strength, durability, and effectiveness of connections of like character as ordinarily constructed.

It is apparent upon inspection of Fig. 3 that, even should the lower portion of the hook engaged in proper position be moved outwardly due to any cause whatever, a movement which gravity would tend to de- Copies of this patent may be obtained for feat, there is still little danger of displacement of the hook from the fastening eye, but to defeat such a movement, thelower enlarged side A of the eye A, may be provided with an enlargement indicated at A in Figs. 3 and 4, engaging one side of the hook when the latter is in operative position as shown in Fig. 3, and tendingto defeat the same.

While I have shown and described the fastener in connection with metallic horse collars, it is equally applicable to, and intended to operate the same in connection with, a hame E as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, by slight change of the plate 13 supporting the eye F in regard to its particular shape and mode of fastening.

-The hook Gr may also have a shank G riveted or otherwise secured to the trace H.

I claim A safety connection of the character described, comprising a hook having a reduced throat portion, and a fastener having an outstanding eye thickened at one side for engagement in operation by the hook, and having a relatively thin opposite side for reception by the reduced throat portion of the book when the latter is inserted in place, the said-thickened side portion of the said eye having an enlargement engaging one side ofthe hook inoperative position to prevent upward swinging movement of the hook in the eye.

ALEXANDER THOMSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner-of Patents, Washington, D.- G. 

